The Sun. — London, England, 1864-07-13 00:00:00

'ERIAL PAELLtiI GENT HOUSE OF LORDS—Last E verdng, The LORD CR A NCELLOB took his seat on tAe woolsack at five o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time antl passed Kington and Eardesley Railway, Southern Railway, J3ris tol Port and Channel Docks, Exmouth and Bueleigh, s a l_ terton Water, Great Western Railway (No. 3), Great Northern Railway (No, 2) (Lincoln to Boston). THE BARBARITIES BY PRUSSIAN SOLDIERS. In reply to the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, Earl RUSSELL stated in reference to the rumour that 400 Swedish soldiers had been massacred in cold blood by the Prussians—that there were about six or seven Swedish officers present in the Danish army. They wore the Danish uniform, and therefore were not to be distinguished from the Danes. He had since received information from the Prussian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the effect that there was not more than seventy Swedes alto gether in the Danish army. All they knew was that five Swedish officers were taken prisoners, and that there were 400 soldiers altogether attacked. The reports there fore that came with the telegram were quite untrue. In reply to further questions from the Earl of SHAFTES. BURY, Rai RUSSELL said that ho knew nothing of the particular case of reported cruelty to the brother of a British officer. CANNOCK CHASE AND `WOLVERHAMPTON RAILWAY BILL. Lord HATHERTON moved that the sessional order of the 21st of April be dispensed with in reference to the bill, in order that it might be read a second time. Lord REDESDALE opposed the motion. Their lordships divided, when there appeared— Contents Not contents 2O Majority in favour of the motion The bill was then read a second time. NEATH AND I3RECON RAILWAY (EXTENSION) BILL. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved the suspen sion of the standing orders in favour of the bill. The motion was agreed to without a division, and the bill was read a second time. INDEMNITY BILL, This bill was read a second time. STREET MUSIC (METROPOLIS) BILL. The Earl of MALMESIsUItY moved the second reading of this bill. The motion was agreed to without discussion. FACILITIES FOR DIVINE SERVICE IN COL LEGIATE SCHOOLS BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. CIVIL BILL COURTS (IRELAND) BILL. The report of amendments to this bill was brought up and agreed to. The India Stocks Transfer Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. The DJfence Act Amendment Bill was read a secoud The Judgment, &c., Law Amendment Bill was read a second time. The India Office Bill passed through committee. The Life 'Annuities and Life Assurances Bill, and the Lunacy (Scotland) Bill were read a third time and passed. SIR FRANCIS BOND HEAD. The Earl of HARDWICKE called the attention of the house to the memorial of Sir F. B. Head to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, laid on the table of the house on the 6th Juno. He had given notice of his intention to make a motion on the subject ; but, in consequence of what had passed in the other house on the previous evening, he should not bring it forward. The noble earl referred at some length to the services of Sir F. B. Head ; but it is unneces sary to enter into this after the full report which we gave yesterday of the discussion that took place on the same subject in the House of Commons. Lord MELVILLE said it was not Sir F. B. Head, but his successor (Sir G. Parker) who suppressed the Canadian rebellion in 1838. Lord LYVEDEN thought that the subject of giving pensions to colonial governors generally should be carefully considered by her Majesty's Government. The Earl of EL LENBOROUGII expressed himself favourable to granting pensions to colonial governors. After seine observations from the Marquis of CLAN- R [GARDE, The subject dropped. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening, The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock. HIGHWAYS ACT AMENDNIENT (RECOM MITTED) BILL. The house went into committee on this bill On the motion that the preamble should be postponed, Mr THOMPSON said that the present state of highway management was most unsatisfactory. To prove this he mentioned that it had been found necessary to substitute another bill in 1862 for that of 1855. They were now called on to rescind the former. Ile thought that no practical re sult would raise until that act was rescinded ecmpntaory instead of optional. Clauses 1 to 19 inclusive were agreed to after a short dis- cussion. On clause 20, Mr KENDALL movcd an amendment to the effect that parishes should ba compelled to refonce in their neighbour hoods if necessary. Sir G. GREY said that unless they were already liable these words would not render them so. The amendment was withdrawn, and the clause was agreed to, as were clauses to 23. On clause 24, Mr. H. FEN WICK moved the omission of the words " without a keeper," the object of which was to prevent clttlo being turned out on the highways for pasturage. These highways were intended for the use of the public, and converting them into grazing ground was a direct per version from their legitimate purposes. After some discussion, the committee divided— For the amendment .... 42 Against it Majority It was then moved that the words" Such highways not being more than 30 feet wide" should be added, but it was withdrawn. Sir B, LEIGHTON movod that the words of the clause should not apply to any existing rights of pasturage on the sides of roads, Lord HENLEY said that the effect of the provision pro posed by the hon. baronet would be to nullify the clause altogether, for there were no road upon which rights did not exi.t. The amendment was agreed to without a division. The clause, with some other amendments, was then, adopted without further discussion. There was some further discussion on subsequent clauses, and some verbal amendments were introduced. The bill was ordered t o b e reported,. and at 10 minutes to 4 o'clock the sitting was suspended. The house resumed at 6 o'clock. THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE SLAVE TRADE. Mr HLRDCASTLE asked the First Lord of the Trea sury whether the Brazilian Government had fa lfilled their obligations with regard to the Africans liberated by British cruisers, as to whom Earl Russell stated in a de spatch of June 6, 1863, that "some thousands of negroes, captured in slave trading vessels, and decreed many years ago by the mixed commission at Rio to be entitled to free dom, are, there is good reason to believe, up to the present time held in bondage, contrary to law and in violation of treaty engagements." Lord PALMERSTON—Sir, I am sorry to be obliged to say the conduct of the Brazilian Government with regard to the slave trade has invariably been marked Ls' the greatest violation of treaty engagements. It led, as everybody k no ws, to the passing of the Act of 1845, and afterwards to the proceedings under that act in 1852. Their conduct as the emanctpadoes h as b een as flagrant a violation regards o f their e ngagements as any ot h er part of their conduct with regard to the slave trad e . U pon th i s slave trade a mixed commission was appointed in B raz il, com b ined of British and Brazilian judges, and they were to decree the liberty of negroes found in the slave trading vessels which might have been condemned as such by the mixed court. These delivered negroes were entitled to be free, but the Brazilian Government said they would require preparation for freedom, and it was provided that they should be sub ject to a master for 11 years. Some were kept by the Bra zilian Government, some by a private master; and we h ave reason to beli eve none of them ever obtained that freedom which they desired, This has been the subject of frequent representations by the British Government, but these re presentations have not been attended to. We have asked for a list of these negroes, and have not been able to obtain it; but the Brazilian Government have stated that there are measures by which the negroes may obtain their free dom b y their own act. I will state wh at those meastires are, in order that the house may see how far they ate in accordance with the views of Government. In the first place, the negro is to ask from the chief clerk the attestati on that his 14 years have expired. Then he is to p e titi on the Minister of Jus tice. 3d. Tho Minister of Justice refers the petitioner to the Judge of Orphans. 4th. The Judge of Orph ans g i ves information, and sends the petitioner to the Minister of Justice. sth, The Minister of Justice refers the petitioner t o the chief of police. 6:h. The chief of police refer s the petitioner to the general Guardian of Negroes. 7th. The Guardian of Negroes refers the petitioner to the chief of po :iss, Bth. Tise chief of police refers the petitioner to the governor of the 1 - louse of Correction. (A. laugh.) 9th, Th e gc tv s rnur of the house of Correction gives informati on , an d send the petitioner back to the chief of police. (Laughter.) gives information, and sends b ac k 10th. The chief of police the petitioner to the office of the Secretary of Justice. 11th — (laughter)—The Secretary of Justice makes a procedure of the informati o n, w hich has been passed by the Minister of Justice hinasoU. Well, then, ltlth, the Minister of Jus tice causes letters of freedom to be administered to the man. Now, you would think all is done and the man is free, Far from that. 13th. The petitioner is referred to the judge w ith his letter. 14th. He is sent to the chief of police. 15th. time. The judge refers the petitioner to his own clerk, and orders letters of freedom to be given, but keeps the letter until the party has paid the respective emoluments to the officers engaged in these proceedings. 16th. He is made over to the r.lief of police. 17th. The chief of police communicates with the governor of the House of Correction, and orders t.ne applicant to appear before him. 18th. The governor sends for him—that is, for the applicant—at d the chief of police designates his future place of residence ; for he is not allowed to go where he likes as a free man, but is fixed to a particular spot. 19. The chief of police communicates with chief of divisional police at the place designated, and hands the applicant to that officer. 20th. The chief of the provin cial police hands him over to the chief of police at Rio, and he is removed from the place where for 14 years he had been residing, and had established connections. All the treaties we have made to obtain justice for the emancipak m have failed, and we have not been able to obtain any list of them. We know that when the slave of one of tie owners died, the emancipado was put in his place, and it was re ported that the emancipado had died, ar i d not the slave. Mr S. FITZGERALD would liktl to know whether these 20 steps were pointed out in the Brazilian documents, or whether the noble lord had obtained from other sources the explanation of the course by which the emancipado should be freerl. With respect to the Brazilian Government, he would ask whether that Government had not put down the slave trade, and whether Lord Brougham, than whom no warmer advocate of emancipation existed, had not expressed ids gratitude to that Government? Lord PALMERSTON—This string has not been obtained from the Government. I extracted it from a Brazilian newspaper, which gave it as an official document, and I believe it is co:erect. With regard to the other question of the hon. member, the Brazilian Government have of late years., since 1852, put an end to the slave trade. That has been by compu l s i on , no t by conv i ct i on. The Act Of 1.845 was long a dead letter. In 1851-2 the provisions of that Act were brought into force, and I believe from that time to this the Brazilian slave trade has been put an end to. They gave fresh orders to their officers, and, in spite of bribes to them, I believe that from that time to this the Brazilian slave trade has ceased. I take great c;redit to myself for having brought about that. Mr BRIGHT protested against the Wale lord making a speech on a matter of this nature, where other members could not reply. He should mow the adjournment of the house, in order to make one or two observations upon it, He was not aware that a question was going to be put upon that subject that night—but on a previous occasion the noble lord had stated much the same as he had stated that evening. He would like to know whether the noble lord was not awars of the opinion of Lord Aberdeen that the Brazilian Act ought to be repudiated. That Act, he meant to say, was one of the greatest offences to the Brazilian Government, Legislature, and people ; and he might quote the opinion of the late Lord Truro, who was no mean lawyer, that a more unjustifiable Act, and one more in eeefiance of international law, never was passed by e.ny legislature. If that were so, and if the state of wings upon which that Act was justified had en tirely passed away, and if, as we knew the relations of alba country with Brazil had been of a most unpleasant hind from the time of the passing of this Act, and if we knew that until that Act was repealed the relations between the two countries would have no chance of being placed upon a proper basis, he thought the noble lord should give up his adherence to what was originally an indefensible law. And he should think, after the vote of last week, when, if the house did not come to a vote of censure, at least he never knew an occasion upon which they had approached more nearly to it, and never did he know an occasion where the house had denounced so strongly theirritating and offensive policy of the Foreign Offiee—(hear, hear)—the noble lord might have learned something from that ; and if the noble lord would consent even now to repeal an Act which had no reference to the existing state of things, but which as long as it was maintained was certain to produce bitterness between this country and Brazil—a nation with whom we had extensive relations, which might ba more extensive if we had a Government ready to meet them in a friendly spirit—he believed he would be carrying out the opinion prevailing in that house, and the opinion prevailing among all classes of this country who had anything to de with Brazil and its people. It might be too late to do anything of the kind this session, but if the noble lord was not pre pared to do so at the beginning of next session, he hoped some hon. member would move for a committee to examine into the question, and he believed no committee of that house would support the policy of the noble lord. Between this and next session no doubt there would be affairs before the Foreign Office relating to Brazil and the King of Por tugal. If so, the noble lord need not wait until next session, but he might promise what he would do in order to esta blish friendly relations between England and Brazil. Sir J. ELPHINSTONE would support the appoint ment of a committee, but would not have its labours confined entirely to the trade with Brazil. At this time the situation of our troops on the unhealthy coast of Africa, where vast numbers of them were dying of fever, was perfectly appalling. (Hear, hear.) The answers they had heard from the Government were most evasive ; but nevertheless he believed the troops were dying from starva tion, and the country was in a state of famine. These were questions calling for the consideration of Parliament, and which could not long be deferred. Another question which forced itself upon the attention of the Government, and which could not long be avoided, was that the maintenance of the squadron on that coast cost £G0,003 per annum, and there was not one of the ships, except the commodore's, which could go more than eight knots. As he understood, blockade slave-runners were now employed in the slave trade, and these vessels had simply to turn their heads to the wind to escape from our cruisers. Well, these were our beet cruisers on the coast of Africa, and it was for the house to say what means had we, should any difficulty arise with a foreign country, to protect the commerce of this country. Vessels of the Confederate States of America, carrying a cargo, were able to make 15 or 16 knots, while our ships, upon which depended the protection of our corameree in time of war, could not make above eight knots. _ _ Mr S. FITZGERALD endorsed most, cordially every word which had been said by the hon. member for Birming ham, and expressed the regret which all in the house must feel on seeing that the noble lord took every opportunity of raakiag an attack of this kind upon a Government with which for years, until lately, we had held most friendly re lations. The answer of the noble lord was simply an amplification of the last despatch sent by the noble lord at the head of the Foreign office to the Brazilian Government, who had not, so far as that house was aware, yet sent a reply to it. He entirely agreed with all that had fallen from the hon. member for Birmingham. Lord PALMERST,ON said he did not think he was open to the reproaches of the hon. gentleman, as he did not volunteer that statement. He (Lord Palmerston) was asked a question, and the answer involved a statement which he knew to be true. It would be useless for the hon. gentle man to deny its truth. He (Mr Fitzgerald) knew better. (Hear, hear.) Therefore it was not worthy of him— Mr FITZGER.ALD—I have said I did not know it. Lord PALMERSTON—Then I am sorry you are so ignorant. (Cries of Oh, oh,) What I stated is to be found in papers which are laid upon the table of the house. The noble lord proceeded to say that with regard to the remarks of the hon. member for Birmingham and the hon. gentle• man opposite, he would only remark that the act was the exact counterpart of an act which it had been his (Lord Palmerston's) duty to propose to the house in regard to Portugal, and which, therefore, must have been approved of by the law officers of two different Governments. The justification of the acts was that Portugal and Brazil had each, by the treaty of 1826, pledged the honour of their re spective countries to abolish the slave trade; that they failed to fulfil their engagements ; and it was therefore thought we ought to use our power in order to compel the observance of the treaty. Everybody was aware that the slave trade in Brazil amounted to a landing of about 7,000 negroes every year, and it was easy to imagine the misery and suffering that was thereby caused. Everybody was also aware that since the year 1815 the English Government and the English nation had determined to put an end to that abominable trade. (Hear, hear.) He maintained, then, that the goodness of the object justified the means which the Government had from time to time taken for putting down that crime ; and he was convinced that if the act were repealed the Brazilian slave trade would revive, as it had in the case of Spain and Cuba. Spain was bound by treaty to abolish the slave trade. That, indeed, was the only reward we asked for our assistance in the war of independence. Bat what was the result? Why, they had heard in that house, time atter time, that the slave trade to Cuba was carried on in spite of the treaty. Then, take another example that of Portugal. She, too, had made a slave treaty, but she still consented to the exportation of slaves from ber settlements in Africa. Now, in France, not only the slave trade, but slavery itself, was nominally abolished; and yet, notwithstanding this, about two years ago the slave trade was to all intents and purposes begun and carried on for some time under the pretext of exporting free labourers from Africa. The hon. gentleman was correct in saying that the act had not been enforced since 1852 ; but he (Lord Palmerston) was quite aware that it was still a thorn in the side of the Brazilians, It was an impediment to those who wished to carry on the slave trade, and a reproach to those who did not. For his part, he attached so much importance to it that, greatly as he valued the friendship of the Brazilians, yet Ii these were put into the two scales of the balance—the abolition of the slave trade and the friendship of Brazil—he would sacrifice the friendship of Brazil. (Hear, hear.) Lord J. MANNERS wished t o k now why the noble lord did not act in the same manner with regard to Spain. (Hear, hear.) The fact was that he dared not. (Hear.) lie would not enter into the question at any length, but he could not help protesting against the language which had been made use of by the noble lord towards an independent member. (Hear, hear.) Sir J. RAY said that before the debate closed he wished to say a few words upon what had fallen from the hon. member for Portsmouth on the subject of the attempts which had been made to suppress the save trade on the coast of Afri ca . We maintained upon t h a t coas t a squa d ron of 18 steam vessels and he believed that o nl y one of them —viz,, the R a ttl esnake —was capable of going 10 f k no t s an hour. The oth er day he was Wormed four of these vessels gave chase to a slaver, but they could not succeed in effect ing her capture. He wished to know whether such a state of things was to be continued. Lord C PAGET said he thought that his hon. friend THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING ? JULY l3, 1864 inquiries into the circus stances under which the meat was sent to London. SANATORY CONDITION OP THE CITY. Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of health, reported that during the past week 293 houses had been inspected, and be submitted a list of 105 places for sanatory improvement. He also submitted a list of places that required further pro ceedings, on account of orders already issued but not yet complied with. The markets and slaughter houses had been duly inspected and the officers had condemned 1,163 lbs. of meat as unfit for human food. All of it was in A diseased condition. The mortality returns for the w3ek are greatly below the average for the season. Last wetk the number of deaths was 39 instead of 47, which is th) average for the corres ponding period of the last eight years. Sixteen of the deaths were among children of less that five years of ago, and 7 among old persons of 60 and upwtrds. The chief causes of death were as follows :—Phthisis pneumonia 4, bronchitis 4, mesenteric) disease 3, continued fever 2, diphtheria 1, in fantine diarrhea 1, erysipelas and measles 4, making together 8 deaths from tubercular diseases, 8 from inflam matory affections of the lungs and 9 from diseases of a zymotic character.' The Commissioners, after trarsacting some other busi ness adjourned. STATE OF TRADE. MANCHESTER, July 12.—Tht market for shipping yarns has been very strong to-day, ant many spinners have asked prices so much in advance of latequotations as almost utterly to discourage operations. But for the extreme prices it is believed a considerable business would have been done. A good many secondhand lots, btught last week, have been resold to-day at prices under 'hat spinners were now will ing to accept. The market closes very firm, buyers some what at a loss how to act, fren a feeling that if they refuse the rates now demanded they m a y no t b e a bl e a f e w days hence to supply their wants wth ou t g i v i ng a s till further advance, In our home trade narket the advance In prices has been considerable, and a hoderate business has been done at an advance of id per 11 on the rates of last Friday. Spinners, however, in some CMS have asked considerably more for cops—in some instant s as much as 2d or 3d per lb in excess of the prices of this day week, while some pro ducers decline for the present b name any quotation, With the market in this state, it has, of course, been difficult for buyers to get on, and busintss has to some extent been checked. In the cloth market the improvement noted last week has continued. A good deal of business has been done altogether during the past five or six days, in fact a large business at a slight but gradual rise in prices, especially in shirtings suited to India. The demand has embraced shirt ings of all kinds, and especially wide shirtings. Buyers have preferred to suit themselves out of stock, where that has been practicable, and where orders have had to be given for goods to make have manifested extreme reluctance to give any lengthened period for deliveries. Where manufacturers take orders to make they are compelled by the advance in cotton to ask considerably higher rates for cloths—say, for 811 b 40 -inch shirtings 93 to 12d per piece; and for other shirtings in proportion. For other cloths sellers are adding id to 3d (and in some cases more) to last Tuesday's rates. Buyers seem to a great extent taken by surprise, and to day these extreme rates have checked business very con siderably in cloths. Messrs. John Hogg and Co. report : " Since Tuesday last We have had an improved demand, and a good business has been done at our full quotations of last week, chiefly for goods in stock, or short term of de livery. The movement in the cotton-market has to-day compelled manufacturers considerably to advance their quo tations; and, as buyers are unwilling to follow, especially for distant delivery, the business of the day has been much restricted." LEEDS, 12th.—The markets in the cloth-halls to-day have been quiet, much the same as on this day se'nnight. As large quantities of heavy goods suitable for the fall trade are delivering by the manufacturers direct to the merchants, there is a comparatively small bulk of seasonable goods in the halls. Theiaaarket was affected by the occurrence of Leeds annual summer fair, which imparted a holyday feeling to the market generally. The manufacturers report themselves as keeping well employed, and that their stocks are far from being heavy. As to prices, they are very firm. A good deal of interest has been manifested to-day in the suspension of payment by a large shipping-house (Messrs. J. Mirfin and Co.), who have issued a circular to their creditors, announc ing that, in consequesco of the non-receipt of remit tances from America, and the high rate of exchange, they have been obliged to suspend payment, They intimate that they intend to place their affairs in the hands of an accountant, and to :ay a statement as soon as possible before a meeting of their creditors. In the meantime they express a hope that they will meet with for bearance. There are many rumours as to Messrs. Mirfin's liabilities, the amount being stated to be from £lOO,OOO to £200,000. It is understood that the firm have scarcely any stock on hand, During the last few years they have done a largo business with America, a coasiderable portion, if not the large portion, being with the Confederate States by means of blockade runnera. At a meeting of the creditors this afternoon there was a good attendance. Mr John Mirfin, who constitutes the firm, estimated his debts at £136,000, but he thinks he has £150,000 to pay with, £130,000 of which consists of goods at New York. The meeting terminated in Mr Mirfin agreeing to execute a deed of assignment. Six trustees were chosen, and in structions were given to them to take immediate steps for recovering a large quantity of goods lately transmitted to New York and to Nassau, NOTTINGIIAIL, 12th.--At thin Exchange-ball to-day there was a fair attendance of merchants and manu facturers. The demand for lam yarns was only mode rate, prices being above the views of buyers. Hosiery yarns were also held at an advance on late prices. Silks .and advancing. The demand for brown nets was slow, but late rates were fully supported. R-,.CHDALE, 11th. —There was a fair attendance of buyers in the flannel m arket to•-day, and a brisk demand for light and fancy articles, Medium and heavy goods are also in steady request, and the same nisy be said as to Yorkshire goods. Manufacturers are harcening their prices, haling no difficulty in obtaining last month's currency, and find ing it difficult to buy wool without some advance. The manufacturers are all well emphyed, and the condition and prospects of the flannel trade lave rarely been better than at present. had made a very exaggerated statement to the house. All he could say was that no acccunts, so far as he was aware, had been reoeived of our steamers chasing slavers and not being able to catch them. Sir J. PAKINGTON observed that the noble lord (Pal merston) had first of all imputed to his hon. friend (Mr Fitzgerald) that he must have known the reverse of what he was stating to have been the truth; and he folio wed that by rebuking his hon. friend for his great ignorance. (Hear, hear.) He would like to know when tlie papers to which the noble lord had alluded were ;ma upon the table of the house. Mr LAY ARD said state that. Ile was not at the moment able to The n anonY was then withdrawn. RAILWAY TRAVELLING. Mr B. COCHRANE asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with the view of protecting the public, it would not be possible to compel the railway companies to introduce into the carriage some mode of communicating with the guards. Mr M. GIBSON replied that no doubt it would be possi ble to compel the railway companies to introduce some means of enabling passengers to communicate with the guards, but he greatly doubted the expediency of doing so. He did not intend to propose to Parliament any measure on the subject. THE FLAGSHIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if there were any truth In the rumour that a wooden three decker was being thted for the new flagship in the Mediter ranean, and whether the Admiralty considered it prudent to employ a ship of that description on so important a duty, Lord C. PAGET said it was true that the Victoria, a wooden three decker, was about to be sent to the Mediterra nean. It was the intention of the Admiralty to fit out some of the large iron plated vessels as flagships, but at present they thought the Victoria was quite .equal to the duties required of a flagship. STEEL SHOT. Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, as the First Lord of the Admiralty was reported to have stated that the cast-iron shot were as useless as mud when fired against ironclad ships, what proportion of steel shot and shell were supplied to the Channel fleet, which he had stated was ready to go anywhere on 24 hours notice ? Lord C. PAGET replied that the subject of steel shot had not been lost sight of, but ho thought the house would agree with him that it was not advisable that he should state at the present time what they were doing in the matter. (A laugh.) " OFFICIAL" RTJSSIAN DESPATCHES, Mr A. SEYMOUR, asked the Under Secretary (of State for Foreign Affairs if the Foreign-office had any knowledge of a despatch, headed " Official," dated February 10th, 1864, and purporting to come from Gortchakoff at St. Pe tersburg to M. d'Oubril, at Berlin, which was published in the Morning Post of July 4th. And, if the Foreign-office had any knowledge of another despatch headed " Private Communication," from Prince Gortchakoff to M. d'Oubril, of the same date, but in a completely opposite spirit. Mr LAYARD—In answer to my hon. friend I have to state that we have no knowledge of either of these de. , spatches. CRIMES COMMIT TED IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES. Mr BUTLER drew attention to the numerous crimes which had been recently committed in railway carriages, and asked whether it wore the intention of the Government to take steps to prevent this recurrence. He would parti cularly refer to the case of assault upon a young female, whose life would have been sacrificed had it not been for the efforts of a gentleman in an adjoining car riage, and the case of Mr Briggs, who was murdered on Saturday evening in a first class carriage on the North London Railway. He wished to ask the Home Secretary what was the amount of the rewards offered for the appre hension of the murderer by Messrs. Robartes and Co., the bankers, by whom the deceased gentleman was employed, by the Government, and by the North London Railway Company ; also whether there was any truth in the report that the alleged murderer had beea captured. Sir G. GREY said he did not know what reward had been offered by the railway company, but Messrs. Robartes and Co. and the Government had each offered rewards of £lOO for the apprehension of the murderer. He had not heard that the alleged murderer had been captured ; but he believed it had been ascertained that the chain which had been taken from Mr Briggs had been sold yesterday to a silversmith, who had given an excellent description of the person who sold it to him. THE SLAVE TRADE ON THE COAST OF AFRICA Sir J. ELPHINSTONE asked the Secretary to tha Ad miralty to lay upon the tableof the house a list of the steam veesels no w employed on the West Coast of Africa, with their speed, as ascertained at the measured mile. Lord C. PAGET said ho could not consent to produce such a list, as that would afford just the information which the slave pirates would like to be in possession of. THE OFFICE OF POSTMASTER • GENERAL• Mr D. GRIPFITH rose to move the following resolu tion :—" That the practice of appointing a peer and privy councillor exclusively to the office of Postmaster •General is one which is not directed or required by law, and does not particularly conduce to the convenience of the distri bution of Ministerial appointments, or to the efficiency of the public service." The question has lately boon discussed in that house as to what should be the proportionate distri bution in both houses of the members of the Government who conducted the business of the several departments. Up to the year 1822 the business of the Post Office department was managed by two persons, who were called Postmasters- General. In hat year the late Lord Normanby brought forward a motion in that house for the reform of the depart ment. At one time the office was held by the Duke of York, the younger brother cf Charles 11., who appointed a deputy to discharge the duties of the office. During the reigns of the Georges various modifications were introduced ; but the result was that, although there was no warrant to authorise it, two Postmasters-General were appointed. An HON. MENIBEn. here observed that there were not 40 members present, and after the lapse of the usual in terval, the requisite number not being completed, the Speaker declared the house adjourned at a quarter-past 7 o'clock. CITY SEWERS COMMISSION. The Commissioners of Sewers ct the City of London met in the Sewers Court-room at Guildhall yesterday, under the presidency of Henry De Jersey, Esq., Deputy. Among the members of the Court present were—Deputy Farrar, Deputy Lloyd, Deputy Unwin, Deputy Perkins, Deputy Read, Deputy Cork, Deputy Bone, Deputy Obbard ; Messrs George Walter, Nind, Cox, Botterill, Israel, Teulon, Matthew, Houghton, Green, Sully, J. T. Young, and T. Symonds. The Principal Clerk, Mr JOSEPH DAw, read a commu nication he had received from Mr A. J. Baylis, Clerk to the Guardians of the East London Union, inclosing a letter received by the Board from Dr Fowler, one of their district medical officers, who reported the prevalence of fever in his district ; there being two bad cases in Thompson's-rents, and two other cases in Rose-alley. He suggested that everyhouse and room in both the courts named should be thoroughly white-limed, and that the refuse of the severalihonses should be frequently removed. He also added that it would be very desirable that the several rooms and houses inhabited by the poor of the parish (Bishopsgate)should be similarly treated. Dr LETHEBY stated that the houses in both of the places named were carefully inspected in the months of April and May last, and that orders were then isfued for sanatory improvement. In the case of Thompson's-rents, the orders were fully carried out in the month of May; but in that of Rose-alley, as the orders were but imperfectly executed, he visited the place on the Bth June,and made a circumstantial inspection of all the houses. He then advised the Commis sion to take legal proceedings against the landlord, Mr White, for neglecting the orders of the Court. Those pro ceedings were promptly followed out, and on the 20th of Juno the owner of the premises was fined for each house that had been neglected, and was charged with the costs. At that time, however, the whole of the sanatory works were completed to the satisfaction of the officers, and therefore, a fortnight before the date of the district medical officer's let ter, every house in Rose-alley had been put into a good sanatory condition, as far the powers of the Commission extended. Dr Letheby added that he had referred to the returns of sickness which are copied from Dr Fowler's medi cal order book, and he found that for the last four weeks there had been but three cases of fever in Thompson's rents, and four in Rose .alley, and that there had been no returns of death from either of those places in that time. The report of the medical officer was ordered to be for warded to the guardians of the East London Union. DISEASED HEAT PROSECUTIONS IN THE CITY. The Solicitor to the Commission, A. J. BAYLIS, Esq., reported that, in pursuance of instructions, he had caused proceedings to be taken against a person named John Mil ler for sending a quantity of very diseased moat from Ar broath, in Scotland, to Newgate-market. The defendant was committed for trial on Friday last to the July Sessions of the Central Criminal Court, and that (Tuesday) morn ing he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced by Mr Commis sioner Kerr to be imprisoned for 12 calendar months, to pay a fine of £5O, and be further imprisoned until the pay ment of such fine. The Solicitor reported that he had also caused an indict ment to be preferred at the present sessions of the Central Criminal Court against Robert Case, of Lamas, near Aylsham, Norfolk, for sending to a saleman in Newgate market four quarters of an ox which were very diseased, and unfit for - human food, The defendant was convicted that (Tuesday) morning, and sentenced by Mr Commissioner Kerr to be imprisoned for six calendar months,to pay a fine of £5O, and to be further imprisoned until the fine is paid. ➢lr Baylis also reported that on the 7th inst. Inspector Nee man seized some packs of meat that were being taken into a shop in I N Tsvgate-market. Oa examination, he found that the meat formed part of an animal that appeared to have died'of disclase, and had not been killed. It was in a very bad condition, and totally unfit for human food. The meat was shown to Mr Alderman J. C. Lawrence the same day, who stated that its unfitness for food from disease must be apparent to the most inexperienced person. He ordered it to be destroyed, and instructed him (Mr Baylis) to report the case to the Commissioners. The Commissioners at once instructed the solicitor tomato RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. RAIL WA' BILLS. Yesterday the Test two projects on the list for metropoli tan railway communication came on for consideration before Lord Stanley's committee. They are the bills for the Me. tropolitan District and Metropolitan Grand Union Rail ways. The committee have been empowered by the house to consolidate the two bills into one, and to take evidence bearing upon each. The Metropolitan District has aban doned its "main outer circle' system of railways, and con fines its application to the " main inner circle," which con sists of a railway from a junction with the Metropolitan Extension at Brompton to Westminster-bridge of 2 miles, passing, via Sloane and C heater-squares, north of the Vic toria station and under Victoria-street to Bridge - court, Westminster-bridge. The line will then pursue its way from Wastminster - brgo, Embank ment, to Blackfriars - bridgo, the nce un der the London, id north of the Thames Chatham, and Dover, and the pr o p ose d ne w street between Blackfriars and the Mansion-house, to the Cannon-street station of the Charing-cross Railway, then under King Wit. Ham- street and south of Easteheap to the Blackwell Railway and Trinity-square, Tow er -hill, in junction with the Metro politan Extension Railway, The proposed cap ital of th e Metropolitan Districts Railw a y was or i g inally £ 0 , 000 ,000 in shares and X 2,000,000 loan, b u t on ly a , part of it will be required. The Metropolitan Grand U n i o n originally proposed to be incorporated with a capital of £4,000,000 in shares and £1,333,000 by loan fur an aggregate length of 15 miles, part of the distanoe running from the West London Railway, via Earre-court,Old Brompton, and T'elhara- crescent,und er the Fulham-road, and Sloane-equare, north of Victoria-station and Victoria-street, under the Broad Sanotuary and Bridge street, to the Thames Embankment, passing under the road way to the embankment to near Blackftiars, under a portion of the intended new street, then north of Upper and Lower Thames-streets, ander Cannon and King William streets, north of the Monument, and north-west side of Trinity-square, passing under the London and Blackwell Railway near America-equare, and terminating atChristian street, St. George's in the East. The projects are opposed by the Corporation of Landon, Society of the Middle Temple, Lord Kensington, Marquis of Salisbury, Benchers of the Inner Temple, Metropolitan Board of Works, and Metro politan Road Commissioners, Commissioners of Sewers of London, Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings, Dukes of Norfolk and Euccleuch, on the ground of inter ference with property. The witnesses examined in favour of the bill were Sir C, Fox, Mr Fowler, and Mr Haddon and Mr Bouch, engineers, Captain Iluish, Mr C. Steward, secretary of the Londox and North Western, and others. The case for the promoters of the bill having closed the Recorder and Common Sergeant opened the opposition for the Corporation of the Ci ty o f London, and the committe e adjourned to this d a y. Th e bills for the Irish No r th Western, Belfast Centralilkenny Junction, and Rubber.}lubber stop Docks passed in:Slr Massey's committee. A committee, consisting of the Earl of Chichester,chairman, the Duke of Wellington, and Lords Manvers, Abercrombie, and Ebury, met to consider Certain bills for railway extension in Wales. Those for the Rhymnoy R a il wa y Company's extensions be tween Cardiff and Caerphilly and other places were passed, and Mr Conyboare, the engineer of the Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil Junction Railway Company's new lines,was examined at considerable length by Mr Denison and Mr Burk©. The case for the Oswestry and Newton and London and North Western Company's hills closed in the Duke of It'climend's committee, and the bills were passed. The case for the promoters of the East G'ocestershire Railway closed in Lord Eversley's committee. A. select committee consisting of the Dukes of Devonshire atd Buckingham, Lord Devon, Rom ney, Grey, Stradbroke, Donoughmore, Camoys,Wodehouse, Redesdale, Stanley of Alderley, Belper, Lyveden, and Taunton, took evidence upon the Railways Construction Facilities Bill, and on the Railway Companies' Borrowin g Pow.:rs Bill. • LONDON AND GREENWICH. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yeater - • . Broad-street—Mr day at the office, Gresham-house, 01 , 4 p. Corney in the chair. Mr H. ADRON, the seoretary, road the statement of ac counts, which showed that £237 was brought from the pre ceding half-year, £22,500 rent of railway received from the South-Eastern Company, and £5 for transfer fees—total, £22,743. From this was deducted £9,996 for interest on bonds and preference shares, £306 balance of income-tax, and £475 expenses, leaving a balance of £11,965. On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, a dividend at the rate of £1 7s Id per cent on the ordinary stock of the comma) , for the half-year ending June 30, being at the rate of 56 ed per original share, free of income-tax, was declared payable by warrant on the 16th inst. The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors. COLCHESTER AND STOUR VALLEY. The half-yearly acoounts show that the total expenditure on capital to June 30 was £286,192. After providing for all preferential charges and current expenses, the balance avail able for dividend on revenue account was £3,842, out of which the directors recommend a dividend at the rate of Os 6d per cent, per annum on the ordinary stock of the company, leaving a balance of £69. RAILWAY SCHEMES. The Commons' select committee on Parliamentary depo sits have reported to the house that the act requiring the promoters of a railway bill to deposit money or stock to the amount of 8 per cent. of the estimate, in order to ensure the bona fide character of the undertaking, is evaded by the new system which has sprung up. It was intended that stock so deposited should be the proper funds of the promoters, and available for the purposes of the undertaking; but now a banker or insurance company lends the stock required, de positing it with the accountant-general in the lender's name, and under arrangements which secure complete power over it. One or two persons thus obtain a temporary loan to make a colourable deposit, until they see whether a bill will be ob tained, and whether they can enlist a sufficient number of supporters of their scheme. In the meantime they may cause by their notices great depreciation of property, and destroy the confidence in the permanency of occupation necessary for the carrying on and extension of business in large towns and the progress of building operations. They may prevent the completion of sales, and put parties opposing them to enormous expense. They may also subject Parliamentary committees to lengthened investigations without there being adequate means to form a judgment whether the public has taken such an interest in the undertaking as to justify Parliament in granting the powers sought for. The committee mention that in this present session more than half the deposits on private bills are made by other persons than the promoters. Mr Stewart, the secretary of the London and North- Western Railway Company, stated to the committee that he does not believe there was a company, in the sense in tended by Parliament, for any one of the new metropolitan railway projects. They have been promoted only by pro fessional men on the chance of being able to turn them to account. An engineer, a solicitor, a Parliamentary agent, and a contractor apply for a bill ; if the bill is lost, only the money out of pocket is charged, and they divide this loss among them ; if the bill is granted, they set the rights so obtained up to auction. The committee recommend regulations in regard to a subscription contract, a prelimi nary inquiry into its bona fides, and the financial arrange ments of the "company," the application of the deposit when returned, and its liability in certain cases for costs of opposition, all which they hope will tend to check these abuses. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME CIRCUIT.—HERTFORD, July 12. The business of the assizes for Herta was com menced this morning at ten o'clock—Baron Martin presiding on the civil side, and Mr Justice Willes in the Crown Court. The cause list is a very light one, only nine common jury cases being entered., (Before Air Justice Willes.) CHARGE OF ASSAULT. William Mullins surrendered to take his trial upon an indictment charging him with assaulting James Permewan, and causing him bodily injury, and also with a common assault. Mr Robinson and Mr Clark prosecuted ; Mr Woollett and Mr Ludlow were counsel for the de fendant. This case created some little interest on account of the position of the parties, and the circumstances under which the alleged assault took place. The defendant is a farmer, occupying a farm belonging to Sir Edward Lytton, M.P., at Bletchworth,. near Stevenage; and it appeared that in March last he received notice to quit this farm. The prosecutor, at the time of this notice being given, occupied the position of land steward to Sir Edward Lytton, and there was no doubt that a good deal of ill-feeling existed in the defendant's mind against him. The prosecutor stated that ca May 18th he was engaged in marking bark upon some trees near de fendant's farm, and on his return home with his son, a boy nine years of age, he was met by the de fendant, who seemed very angry, and was" talking at him ;" and though he tried to avoid him, the de fendant seizsd him by the collar and twisted his head round, and nearly strang►ed him. In order to release his neckerchief, as was stated, the prose cutor pulled out the knife he had been using, and tried to cut it. The defendant then began kicking him violently on the shins, and he fell to the ground insensible, and very severely injured, according to the testimony of Mr Marshall, a medical gentle man. The prosecutor was subjected to a severe cross-examination by Mr Woollett, and admitted that before the assault he had walked across two of the defendant's fields ; but the main facts, as previously stated, were not shaken. It was further stated, in the course of the inquiry, that the prosecutor had left the service of Sir Edward Lytton since the transaction, and that the differences between the defendant and his landlord had been arranged, and he was to continue in his farm. The magistrates also had declined to commit the defen• dant for trial. Mr. Woollett, for the defendant, strongly urged that the prosecutor had brought all the inconve. niences he had suffered upon himself, and that the defendant had done no more than any other man would have done under the same circumstances, the prosecutor bring a trespasser upon the defendant's land. All the defendant did was to remove him, and when the prosecutor found he was getting the worst of it, he reverted to the dastardly expedient of drawing a knife and trying to make nee of it. A number of respectable witnesses, most of whom were in the same condition of life as the defendant, were called to speak to his character, and they all described him as a harmless, inoffensive man, and a good, peaceable neighbour. Mr. Justice Willes having summed up, the jury at once returned a ver di ct of " Not guilty ;" and the defendant was ordered to be immediately discharged. SACRILEGE. Isaac Anderson, alias Jones, 30, described as a draper, pleaded guilty to an indictment which charged him with breaking into the parish church of Bushey, and stealing a cloth and other articles, the property of the parishioners. Inspector Allison, of the K division of the metro politan police, informed the court that the prisoner had been previously convicted of breaking into the parish church of St. George's-in-the-East, and also into that of St. Ann's, Limehouse. Under that con viction he was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour. • The prisoner was sentenced to five years' penal servitude. The whole of the civil business was brought to a conclusion by three o'clock, and Baron Martin was engaged until the rising of the court in assisting to dispose of the gaol calendar. MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—WARWICK, July 12. (Before M 7 Justice Keating.) BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE. Miss Harriet Butler, daughter of the ex-Mayor of Tamworth, brought an action against Mr Richd. Edwin Ruffe, late surgeon at the Bradford lofir• mart', to recover damages for breach of promise of marriage, &c. Mr Field, Q.C., and Mr Miller, appeared for the plaintiff; Mr Digby Seymour, Q.C., was specially retained on the other side. Defendant pleaded that he never promised to marry, but that if he did, at the time of doing so plaintiff herself absolved him from fulfilment. The facts of the case, as they came out in evidence, are as follows—Defendant resided at Tamworth in 1852, while walking the Birmingham Hospital, and there became acquainted with plaintiff, who had recently lost her father, a gentleman occupying, from his character and position, considerable influ nence in her native town. He engaged himself to her, and continued, from that time up to very re cently, on the most affectionate terms, writing 'Tumorous letters, couched in terms of endearment. After a voyage to New Zealand, defendant became surgeon to the infirmary at Bradford, Yorkshire, and, writing thence on the 30th of October, 1859, to her a letter commencing, "My own dear darling Harrie," he said— This afternoon—that is to say, as soon as I have finished this letter —I shall go to Biravngham to look about the place. I mean to begin to work. I think I shall, as soon as I conveniently can, love, go to Scotland and take the M.D., since it would, of course, be better to call myself " Dr." Ruffs than " Mr." (Laughter.) And then you will be called Mrs Dr Ruffe. However, of all this you shall here more anon. I trust, my own darling, I shall hear from you when you get home, because I am always pleased to hear from you. Do, love, write as you think; remember you are my wife, and that I am in every way yours, and yours only; therefore you ought not to have any ceremony or doubt. With best love, and thousands of kisses for your own dear self, 1 am, dearest Harrie, your own dear—TED. Ho continued to write similar epistles, and in 1860 spoke of going into partnership with a Mr Dryden, asking her Opinion, as his future wife on the advisability of taking chat step, saying, "Do you think we could live on £l5O a year for three 'pars? for if we can I have no fear after that time." --tufeLn_t entered into negoti a ti ons w ith M r time holding out hopes to Dryden, at the sh.— ; e e . In Januar 1862 plaintiff" of a speedy mar._ y, , he said— ; love,Write to me as if you were my wife, You km 7 it is all nonsense talking about anything happening, an not being married ; for, as far as I am concerned, nothing can or shall hinder it. I am yours, and yours only, for life. Concluding with fondest love from your own husband —TED. Further correspondence of this sort was kept up; and in Nov., 1362, he addressed her still as his own darling Harrie, but regretted, &c., that circum stances would not allow him to make her his wife just then, but at the same time expressed a hope he should be able to keep his promise hereafter. Dur ing all this time he had visited her, but in 1863 his visits became less frequent by degrees until he ceased to see her, and ultimately neglected to favour her with his customary epistles. In April last her brother-in-law wrote to him to demand an explana tion of this change in the course of love, and received in reply a " cruel" letter, wherein defendant first announced his intention of breaking the agree ment—firstly, because he could not love plaintiff; and, secondly, because he was involved in legal proceedings which would probably compel him to leave England for ever. The present action was then commenced, and he said he would marry her if she would have him ; but she refused, on the ground that he only wanted to stay proceedings. Mr Digby Seymour addressed the jury in miti gation of damages, his chief point consisting in the fact that plaintiff was rather past what was gene rally called " a marrying age." The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, with £3OO damages. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, TIMES,—Now that a railway passenger has been the victim of one of the foulest murders which have been committed in our time, it is possible that the railway companies may be forced by public opinion to abandon their practice of locking passengers in the compartment of a carriage, and leaving them without the power of communicating with any human being as long as the train is in motion. Yes terday Mr. Baillie Cochrane asked a question on this subject in the House of Commons, and received an answer which shows how thoroughly Mr. Milner Gibson has acquired the official style. While the body of a man slaughtered through neglect of the obvious expedients which are practised on the rail. ways of every other country in the world lies await ing au inquest, Mr. Gibson expresses himself in the following Conservative fashion :—" It would, no doubt, be possible to compel railway companies, by legislation, to introduce into the carriages some mode of communicating with the guards; but he doubted the expediency of doing so. As our rail ways were constructed the question was not with out considerable practical difficulties. Evidence had been taken on the subject before a committee up stairs, and the inspectors of railways were not by any means unanimous as to the expediency of adopt= ing a plan whereby the passengers might be enabled to communicate with the guards;" and so on; the conclusion at which the public must arrive at being that, so far as the Government is concerned, they may be murdered and robbed with impunity for ever. But long-suffering as we are, there is a point beyond which even railway directors will not be allowed to carry their despotism. Some time since a carriage took fire, and the passengers were in im minent danger of destruction, their efforts to make their situation known to the driver or guard being wholly unavailing. Only yesterday we gave an account of a still'worse case. A young woman, to save herself from the indecent assaults of a man with whom she happened to be left alone, opened the door and gut outside, standing on the step of the carriage. She soon became insensible with fright, and must have perished had it not been for the exertions of a gentleman in the next compartment, whose attention was called to her by a boy who saw her hanging on ny a door-handle. This gentleman had to support her for five miles, until the notice of the guard was directed to the matter by some labourers who saw the train coming past and called out to him. Can anything be more scandalous than such a story P Is it not ptOin that no man is safe from assassination, no woman from rape, as long as people are left sometimes for more than an hour without the possibility of making known their situation P Some time since there was a fearful scene with a lunatic in a railway carriage which strongly resembled a tale of Edgar Poe, and no person can be sure when he takes his seat that he is not about to furnish materials for some such story. In any other country than this the selfish inaction of mercantile companies would be corrected by the interference of the State. What, indeed, is the use of a Government if it cannot protect the lives of the people by controlling the chief means of travelling ? Yet Mr. Gibson contents himself with telling us that the Board of Trade has no execue tive power or authority in the matter, and that he has no intention of introducing a bill to compel the railway companies to provide means of communi cation. If anything is to be done, it must, then, be through the exertions of the public, which suffers from the present mismanagement. There is a stolid obstinacy in the railway world with regard to this question which will only yield to the resolutely ex pressed will of the travelling pubiic. What the ob jection of railway directors and their dependents can be to the simple expedient of allowing the pas sengers to make known their position to the guard by a bell or other wise we have never been able to ' discover ; but for some reason or another they will not consent to do anything. Talk to them, and you will have some such answer as " Jt would be im practicable, extremely inconvenient ; it is unsuited to our system ; it would be attended with many difficultieswhich only those concerned in the work ing of railways can appreciate." But if to this uni versal chorus of "It can't be done" you reply with "Why not P" the reasons given are entirely puerile. You tell them that not only in America, where they have cars, but in other countries, where the carriages are constructed like our own, there is complete facility of communication ; and all that they can answer is that our carriages are not built for the purpose ; that our trains travel too quickly ; that if passengers could communicate with the driver they would be always stopping the train on some fancy or another,und introducing uupunctuality into rail way arrangements. These are, we believe, the only pretexts that have even an• air of plausibility; and, when they are considered for a moment, how frivo lous they are. In the first place, if our carriages are not constructed so as to allow the guard to pass along the outside, let them be altered. A handrail and a continuous ledge for the guard to walk upon, as on the French railways, are all that is wanted ; and this simple machinery would also allow the col lectioa of tickets during the journey, and save the waste of time and the danger of collision caused by the foolish stoppage for the purpose at half a mile from the terminus. Then, as to the speed of the trains, is it not the fact that the guard performs this duty of walking along the carriages even on the fastest express trains, such as thoce from Calais or Boulogne to Paris—trains which equal or exceed in speed the expresses of our English lines ? So much for the objection on the ground of mechanical im possibility. An active guard could with perfect ease leave his seat and make his way to any carriage to• which he might be calved; and with such an arrange ment passengers would feel a security against vio• lence or accident which, unfortunately, they do not now enjoy. There only remains the argument that the train would be continually stopped by mis chievous or nervous persons. On this point we believe that even if the passengers could communi cate with the driver there would be no folly of the kind ; but no one recommends that they should com municate with the driver. What is asked is, that they should communicate with the guard, who then would come to the carriage, and if he saw sufficient reason would himself communicate with the driver and stop the train. When these so-called " difficul ties" are looked at for a moment they vanish, and we are constrained to believe that the only real difu culty lies in the inveterate prejudices of the railway authorities. It seems strange to talk of stolid Con servatism with respect to a scientific invention little more than 30 years old, but it is strange how quickly everything hardens and crystallises in this country. These Tories of praetical science require to be urged on to reform, and if, with the lessons of the last few days before us, we omit to urge them, the fault will be ours as much as theirs. PosT.—We are always glad when the time comes round for renewing the annual grant to the British Museum, and, it it should then transpire that the estimates of expenditure for one year be in excess of those for the year preceding, assuredly that circumstance is not of a kind to awaken in our mind any parsimonious feeling of regret. It would be difficult to over estimate the velue of that truly excellent, if heterogenous, mingling of the sources of human knowledge which constitutes the British Museum; therefore when Mr Walpole on Monday represented the Museum expenditure of the year, compared with the last, to be as £96,327 against £94,841,thus evidencing an increase of some £1,486, no non. member, we feel ass ure d , grudged i n hi s own mind the increment. It seems that whilst there has been an increased expendi.;ure of some £1,724 under the general heads of salaries, book binding, and printing of catalogues, there has been a reduction of £3,238 on expenses of building and furniture. laying before the house a statement of the purchases eff ecte d on behalf of the trus t ees o f the British Museum during the past year, Mr Wal pole furnished a presentment that will be alike gratifying to m en o f science an d men o f cultivat e d artistic tastes, First in his expository list came the notice of the collection—so interesting in a paleon telogioal sense—of one of those caverns near Abbe• the relics of which have of late been disturb ing the minds of paleontologists relative to the stupendous question of man's antiquity upon earth. Then followed the notice of relics of less exciting though far mere general interest. First, a bronze lamp, found on the site of Julian's palace, supposed be of Greek workmanship at a time before the an era. Then—since, indeed, the estimates were made ..."T ' es M r Walpole states—the v er y im portant and intere.Zlng acquisition has been made that lately belonged to of the Farness collection the King of Naples, comprial:z amongst its chief attractions a beautiful statue o r lercury, and an antique equestrian statue—one of thre,' only in the world, and the only specimen of the kind in Eng land. These acquisitions are very satisfactory, less satisfactory, however, the manner of lodging theme''- To be conscious of possessing such numerous And varied treasures is no doubt a source of gratification to the British scientific and artistic mind ; but - . the gratification is dashed with a strong feeling of sorrow and regret on calling to memory the fact that, for want of suitable accommodation, the ac quisitions above cited—as well as many others — are no less inaccessible to public vision than if they belonged to his Majesty the King of Ashantee. This dearth of room begins to tell very injuriously against the best, interests of the British Museum, after having marred, for some years past, the archi tectural beauty of what, left to itself, devoid of the cucumberframe lateral excrescences, set up tempor arily by way. of accommodation, would be a very fine building. So pressing is the inconvenience for want of room that all who use the British Museum for business or recreation will cordially second Mr Walpole's expressed desire that some action may be taken by Government to remedy the evil during the coming recess. Our readers will call to mind, without being prompted, some lively debates upon this matter upon many previous occasions—debates in the course of which the South Kensington site has been strenuously recommended on the one hand and no less strenuously depreciated on the other. Although Mr. Walpole did not do more than urge that the question of ample and sufficient space might be settled and acted upon before next session; although he refrained from urging the adoption of any particular site, yet, speaking for ourselves, we are disposed to believe that the arrangement best conducive to the interests of all parties using the Museum would be such as should reserve the premises in Great Russell -street mainly to Library uses, and promote the transference of other branches of the existing museum to South Kensington. Except out of a spirit of contradiction, we do not know why it is that such a violent feeling of opposition has set in against the Government relative to the appropria tion of the South Kensington property to purpose' connected with science and art. Conceding that it might have been inconvenient for the Royal and other learned societies, which have evening , seances, to be established there, this can hardly be said to furnish an argument that applies in any degree to the British Museum, or at least such portions of it as we have suggested might be transferred from their present quarters. Conceding the supe rior advantages—even the necessity—of reserving the present site for library purposes, it could hardly be made out, we think, that the site of South Ken sington is far enough out of the way to incon venience any frequenter o: the British Museum. Not too far for the holiday visitants, assuredly ; not too far for the art student ; not too far for the zooloe gical or mineralogical visitors. However, the question of site is one that has not only given rise to much lively debate, but will probably give rise to more before a final resolve is taken. Like Mr. Walpole, we are amongst those who would like to have the argument out and the action taken. At present the British Museum exterior is an archte tectural eyesore ; its interior, all save the library, too much like a curiosity shop, full of great but unproductive treasures—a suite of lumber rooms crammed with unupened packages. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL-TUESDAY. There was a good attendance of both town and country dealers at market this day. Wheat met with a moderate business, but prices fully as dear. Oats in fair demand , and oatmeal dull, but both rather advanced in price. For flour prices may be quoted same as on Tuesday, but rather a limited trade was done. Beans without any change• In Indian corn there was a fair business passing at inr proving values, American and European bringing 30s 611 per 4801 b. SHEFFIELD-TUESDA Y. At our market to- a there was a smaller supl of whea, than usual, and the trade was moderately activ p e, y with full prices. Beans sold readily, at former rates, and barley ra ther dearer, Red wheat, pa load of 3 imperial bushels...l6s Od to 17s 6 d, White If I • ...17s Od to 19s Od New red , ~...1 1 85 ss o ° d d New white ~ f I Beans ... 14s 6cl to 15s 64 Peas, per qr Grinding barley, per qr 29 s Od to 30s oa Malting ditto, „ .. 32 s Od t o 35 s Od __ 1) Oats to 26s Od _ 22s Od t t o o 2 16 0 5 s 0d ci ~ If Flour; Is 4d to is 8d per 14 lb. MELTON MOWBRAY-TUESDAY. A moderate business was done in English wheat to-dal' The following were the currencies :—New white wheat, 44s Od to 48s Od ; new red, 38s Od to 45s per 36 stone; beans, 43s to 43s for old ; new sorts, 36s to 39s per 38 et ? barley, 32s to 35s for malting, and 28 s to 30 s per qr. tor grinding; now oats, 20s to 24s Od per 24 stone; old, VS to 295. LEEDS-TUESDAY. There were only small arrivals of fresh grain this week. We had a good consumptive demand for wheat at fully last week's rates. Beans were rather dearer. Oats were uir altered. Averages—July 11—Wheat 43s 101 d per qr• —Barley —s Od -- - —Beans 37s 8d - --- —Peas ..32s 04 -- - —Oats .. ..22s 74d BRISTOL—TuEsDAy. There was a fair attendance of buyers to-day. and a moderate business was done at the full prices of last week. Barley and oats held for 3d more money. Beans and pea° were held for is advance on the week. Indian corn ratat dull. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. ..ITY 19. via Marseilles .. July 13. brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet .. Aug. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. July 2 , '• China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southanaptca I.July 19 , via Marseilles ...July IL Falkland Islands .. .. ... July 12. Gibraltar, via S ou th am pt o n . India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.. July 29. via Marseilles , . July 14. India (Bombay), via Southampton . July via Marseilles P0rtuga1.......... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton July via Marseilles Jul!' Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... July IL by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packot.July 15. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, j July 14, California. and British Columbia.. [ADVERTMEIKENT.I—HoIIoway's Ointment an d Pills . High winds are not e d f or p ro d uc i ng grea t di s t ur bance 111 the circulation, whence proceed bronchitis, sore throat . , diphtheria, and multitudes of ailments resulting from yaw able temperatures. A chill or cold should always have instant attention, or serious consequences may spring fro?". neglect. All may rub Holloway's ointment on the skin over the affected part with the certainty of mitigating iv"' mediate sufferings, and averting all future danger. This ointment penetrates the skin, and revives the feeble circa' lation in subjacent organs, purifies the blood, and rectifies every function. In urgent and chronic cases Hollowo9 l t l , pills (taken while the ointment i s b e i ng used) expedite an d ensure a epeedy cure, which in most cases will be thorough' radical, and lasting. Births. BRADY —On the 9th inst., at Femhill, Haverfordwest, the wife of Captain Brady, R.V., of a daughter. SIKES.—On, the 11th inst., at Sudbury, Suffolk, the Wif e , of John Sikes, Esq., of a daughter. STEWART.--On the 12th inst., at Richmond, Surrey, the wife of Balfour Stewart, Esq., of a son. Marriages. DEANS—BoscAwEN.—On the 12th inst., at Saint Pattri t l i f Knightsbridge, Bonar Millett Deane, Major 18th Roy Irish, to the Hon. Louisa Boscawen. WESTMEATH—VERDIEn.--On the 12th inst., at St. phen's, Paddington, George, Marquis of Westmeath, to Elizabeth Charlotte, second daughter of the late Thar Verner, Esq., and niece of Colonel Sir W. Verner, 1 3 ' M.P., Deaths. GRINFIELD .—On tho 9th inst., at Brighton, the Rev. W. Griufield, M.A., aged 80. HILL.—On the 29th April, killed in action, at Tanrazie' New Zealand, Lieut. Charles Hill, H.M.S. Curagoa, ee Co of the Rev. PPinger Buxhatl Rectory, Suffolk, aged 29. O'GRADY.—On the Bth inst., at Erinagh House, counti Clare, Admiral Hayes O'Grady, aged 77. SALT.—On the 9th inst., at Quarry-place, Shrewsbullf Thomas Salt, Esq., age d 7 1. STABLE.—On the 10th i nst., at Crayford, Charles Leona rd Stable, Esq,, aged 46. WHEELER.—On the Bth inst., Sibylla, the wife of Williara Wheeler, Esq., of 6, L e i ns t er - square , Bayswater. London: Primed and Prbfislieci by WILLIAM ANDION S ' of No. 112, St rand, Printer, at THE SUN Off ic e No. 11 ' ,, : Strand, In th e P rec i nc t o f t he Savoy, n th e 00,511 at Alida!mx.-:Wednesday, July 13 , 1804.